Update: After 2-day interview, Freed out of running for Grand Rapids gig

City Manager James Freed takes the first official ride on a rental bicycle around the parking lot of Blue Water Transit's bus hub on Wednesday, July 12, 2017, as part of Port Huron's new bike-sharing program.(Photo: Jackie Smith/Times Herald)Buy Photo

Port Huron City Manager James Freed told attendees of a public forum on the state’s west side Monday night that he wasn’t really looking for another job.

He said he enjoyed his job in Port Huron, but as one of three finalists for the chief administrative job in Grand Rapids, he joked he’d “put myself in a pickle.”

“I don’t need a job, but I really, really want this job. I want to serve you guys, I want to be a part of this community, I want to immerse myself in this community,” Freed said, fielding questions during a meet-the-candidates session.

A day later, he'd pulled himself out of consideration.

News first broke of Freed’s candidacy for the Grand Rapids city manager job last week when he was among five candidates undergoing first-round interviews.

On Monday, he was the first one to take questions from both officials and residents. On Tuesday afternoon, he was the last, speaking with city commissioners directly.

But during a meeting Tuesday night, Grand Rapids officials moved to reopen their search and Freed announced his own decision to not reapply on Twitter.

"I'm out and coming home," he said. "I appreciate the opportunity to have a dialogue about important issues."

Afterward, Freed said it'd been an honor to be considered but declined to further comment.

Topics throughout the two-day interview process ranged from the city’s racial equity and public safety to economic development and housing equity. But among most of the questions, a common theme quickly emerged — relationships, access, and transparency.

As discussion got more pointed and specific Tuesday, Freed recalled more of his background.

“I would say look at my record … (a) record of inclusiveness, of equitable delivery of city services, of making sure every voice is heard,” Freed told Grand Rapids officials.

He cited working with neighborhood groups and recognition from Port Huron’s NAACP chapter as evidence of his relationships with community stakeholders. He also referred to his travels and training experiences as sources of inspiration for community improvements to adopt — calling himself “the great plagiarizer.”

“When my wife and I want to take vacations, it’s like, ‘Do we really have to take a picture of the bike rack?’ You know, ‘Do we really have to take a picture of this on-street parking?’ ‘Why are we doing this? Why are we riding a bus in a city we’ve never been to?’” Freed said Tuesday. “I love to travel across the country and steal really good ideas. You don’t have to be brilliant to steal a great idea.”

He added it’s a habit he shares in working with other administrators and lawmakers — “I continuously try meeting with my peers,” he said — to find best practices as a manager.

On Monday, Freed talked of furthering Grand Rapids’ existing strategic and policy efforts, plucking a variety of examples from his time in Port Huron.

He talked about replacing Port Huron’s street lights with LED fixtures to save funds and energy when asked about sustainability. For a question about culture and creativity, he cited the city’s nonprofit art initiative and state-level grant installed an outdoor sculpture gallery south of the Blue Water Bridge.

On a question about public safety, Freed brought up Port Huron’s community policing zones.

“Every police officer is a community liaison officer, and that’s important because they have authentic relationships with the residents of those (areas),” he said, later adding it’s a sentiment that also applies to him.

On Tuesday, Freed reiterated his pride in making strides related to transparency and accountability — be it, making himself accessible and putting monthly administrative and regular budget reports on the city’s website.

“Nobody knew about them because no one had the courage to address them,” Freed said of finance-related materials. He said “giving the citizens that tool” meant an “accountability measure, power, and information.”

But why come to Grand Rapids, a much bigger city? That, too, came up both days.

Freed said his background managing smaller communities still applies. He recalled starting out during the economic downturn.

In small towns, he said, “You know the names and faces, and you know the stories of those people and those families. But during the recession, I saw tremendous strength and courage.”

“The value of the individual — I have not forgotten that,” Freed said, adding the experience is scalable. “… I think what’s important about my skillset here is (working with) individuals. I see you have a mayor and commission who are also focused on the individual.”

Freed’s candidacy in Grand Rapids came one week after being approved for a raise by Port Huron City Council members.

The range of pay for his prospective position was set at $175,000 to $225,000, while council raised his current salary to $126,565.60 from $114,190, including a step increase and an additional 8 percent wage adjustment.

Contact Jackie Smith at (810) 989-6270 or jssmith@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @Jackie20Smith.